A One-Month Update on My Personal Fitness Challenge.

I realized earlier this week that it’s officially been one whole month since I started my fitness challenge! If you missed that announcement, you can catch up on it here, but basically, I realized I haven’t been feeling like myself (or looking like myself) due to some out-of-control emotional eating habits.

So, I created a fitness challenge for myself with the following guidelines:

Get better about portion size

Find alternatives for carbs

Do one physical activity each day

Drink more water

Overall, I’m going to give myself a GIANT pat on the back. I have really stayed on track for the entire month, and I am feeling so much better than when I started. Because I don’t want this to be about my actual weight, I can’t report about any inches lost of pounds gone, but I feel so much lighter, and that’s the important part.

Portion Size is Everything

At first, the portion size thing was tough, but I bought healthy snacks — mostly carrots, cherry tomatoes, hummus, and apples — to eat if I am still feeling hungry. I measure out the portion sizes based on the food packaging, unless it’s raw veggies, and then I allow myself to eat as many as I want.

I have also found that actually chewing my food and eating a little slower instead of scarfing it down really helps. This is where drinking more water also helps!

Getting Rid of Carbs

I have also explored other things to eat instead of rice and pasta. I do have one piece of bread for lunch (avocado toast!) but I did lots of label comparing in the grocery store aisle and found the one with the least amount of carbs and the most protein, so I feel good about it.

One of the first things I did was go to Trader Joe’s and search the aisles for carb replacements, and I came home with all kinds of frozen cauliflower — cauliflower gnocchi, cauliflower pizza crust, and cauliflower rice.

I was really excited to make the gnocchi because so many people RAVE about it — in fact, Trader Joe’s lists it as one of their best-selling items. I bought two bags; enough for five servings and planned to serve it with some spinach and tomatoes.

Many people told me to cook it all sorts of different ways to avoid it getting soggy — bake it, pan-sauté it, someone even said to use an air fryer! WTF?!? I went with pan sauté aaaaand it took at least 30 minutes to get it a little brown and crispy. Even then, it was still soggy and disgusting.

I never let food go to waste, so for five nights, I choked down little nibbles of the gnocchi and I thought, “Yeah I’m definitely eating smaller servings now!” Yuck.

Next I made a veggie pizza using the cauliflower crust. I’d used it before but it had been awhile. It was a success. It tastes great and was guilt-free! Then, I made Kung Pao Brussels sprouts and served it with the cauliflower rice — another win! I’ll admit, at first I was sure I’d be hungry after dinner, but nope! Very satisfying.

My Goal for Daily Physical Activity

This goal really scared me, but it’s actually been okay. For the most part, I go to the yoga or dance studio every day. On days I don’t go, I do something else such as ride the bike in the gym, take a walk outside, and one day I even put on my boxing gloves and punched a bolster pillow in my apartment.

On days when I really don’t feel like going to a class, I remind myself that the physical activity doesn’t have to be anything monumental. One day I scrubbed my bathroom floor and I considered that as my activity. Yesterday, I walked several laps around the outlet mall.

While yes, I am looking to burn calories, the bigger reason for the physical activity is to force myself to get outside, take a break from work, step away from the computer, and focus on myself.

In total, I’ve skipped two days of physical activity in the whole month, and one of those days I was sick from allergies.

There have been several days when I’ve taken two (a few times three) classes in a day, and I’ve even done some things I didn’t know I could do — such as 108 sun salutations! I am already noticing that my body is stronger and it feels really good to notice that growth in such a short amount of time.

…So, the water…

I still am not great about drinking water, but I am doing better. I drink my coffee in the mornings, water with lunch, and usually have one serving of kombucha in the afternoon, and then water with my workout/physical activity and with dinner.

I haven’t had a single alcoholic bevie — even though these warmer spring temperatures sure make it difficult! There have been a few times I’ve wanted unhealthier food, but once I stop and really think about why I want it, I can usually figure something else out that’s not junk. I know that once you start cutting sugar and other stuff out, you crave it less, and I definitely think that’s true.

Overall though, I am feeling better, and although I know this is an ongoing process, I’m really proud of this progress already.

I’m heading to a BUTI yoga class today and I think I’m going to do Yin yoga and sound therapy tomorrow.

I hope you all have a great weekend and a Happy Easter if you’re celebrating 🙂

The Squeeze

The Bitter Lemon is home to lifestyle writer, editor, and author, Holly A. Phillips. She’s an obsessive dreamer, TV-addict, and a relentless writer, who owns an Etsy shop. She currently lives in Austin, Texas with her cat, Blanche Devereaux.